Traditional computer keyboards may be too large for portable devices, such as mobile phones, multimedia players, or personal digital assistants (PDAs). Some portable devices include a smaller version of the traditional computer keyboard or use a virtual keyboard to receive user input. A virtual keyboard is a software application or a feature of a software application to simulate a computer keyboard. For example, in a portable device with a touch-sensitive display, a user can input text by selecting or touching areas of the touch-sensitive display corresponding to keys of the virtual keyboard.
These smaller keyboards and virtual keyboards may have keys that correspond to multiple characters. For example, a key on the keyboard can correspond to a respective character, such as a letter, in a default input language. The same key may also correspond to one or more additional (i.e., alternative) characters, such as another letter, the letter with an accent option, or another letter in another input language. Due to the physical limitations (e.g., size) of the virtual keyboard on a portable device, a user may find it difficult to enter the alternative characters not readily available on the virtual keyboard.
Input methods for devices having multi-language environments can present unique challenges with respect to text input and correction. The keyboard layout for these input methods may need to be tailored to the selected language to ensure accuracy and efficient workflow.